United States President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a recent interview. Trump stated Maduro has “his days numbered” and suggested military actions against drug traffickers could soon expand to land operations. The comments, made to the publication Politico, represent a significant escalation in rhetoric regarding the political crisis in Venezuela.
Trump refused to detail any specific plans for potential US intervention in the South American nation. He declined to answer directly when asked if an invasion was being considered, telling the interviewer he did not want to discuss military strategy. The former president’s remarks align with his administration’s previous hardline stance against the Maduro government, which the US and dozens of other nations consider illegitimate.
Trump Links Migration and Drug War in Comments
The interview covered multiple facets of Trump’s policy views toward the region. He praised what he called the “prosperous” part of Venezuelan immigration, claiming those voters largely supported him. Trump then accused Maduro of sending other, undesirable individuals to the United States with the approval of former President Joe Biden.
“He sent us millions of people, many from prisons, many drug traffickers, drug lords, from psychiatric institutions,” Trump said. [Translated from Spanish] “He sent them to our country, where we had a very stupid president. Biden has a low IQ, especially now.”
Trump also lauded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the ongoing US campaign against suspected drug-running boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. He claimed these maritime operations are saving American lives by intercepting narcotics.
According to Trump, each of these vessels is responsible for an average of 25,000 American deaths. He argued the data justifies aggressive action, even as he expressed a personal dislike for bombing missions. The former president asserted that seaborne drug shipments have plummeted by 92 percent as a result.
Focus Shifts to Mexican and Colombian Cartels
When interviewers noted that a large portion of US-bound drugs originate in Mexico and Colombia, Trump indicated he would take similar measures against cartels in those countries. He vowed to continue a relentless pressure campaign against international drug trafficking networks regardless of their base of operations. This broad threat underscores a potential foreign policy approach focused on direct military action against non-state actors abroad.
Trump further addressed controversy surrounding his recent pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández. Hernández was convicted on drug trafficking charges after leaving office. The former US leader dismissed concerns that the pardon sent the wrong message to international narcotics organizations.
“I don’t know him, I know very little about him,” Trump admitted. [Translated from Spanish] “He was the president of the country, the country traffics drugs, as you could probably say about all countries, and for being president, they gave him 45 years in prison.”
Trump explained he granted clemency based on theories that Hernández was framed by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. He said people he knows and respects, who are advocating for Honduras, requested the pardon and believed Hernández was treated terribly. This decision continues to draw scrutiny from anti-drug advocates and foreign policy analysts. The move contrasts sharply with his administration’s earlier Donald Trump-era pressure on regional leaders accused of corruption or ties to cartels.
The interview, conducted by Europa Press, highlights the volatile and personal nature of Trump’s foreign policy commentary. His latest warnings to Maduro inject new uncertainty into an already tense relationship between the United States and Venezuela. Regional observers are now watching for any concrete policy shifts that might follow this heightened rhetoric.